Quote Originally Posted by fished-out View Post
They're constantly hooked into an auto charging system on the boat, which is probably more important than the brand, so long as they have heavy plates and a high amp-hour rating.
You nailed it. With good care, the cheapest set you can find will outlast and out perform the best batteries on the market.

There are only a few battery manufacturers left, and most of them put a lot of different labels on the same battery. Trojan and Rolls really do make a better quality battery, but I don't think it's worth the extra money unless you are fishing for a living. Truthfully, you get better customer service out of Walmart than the high dollar places. I've heard stories about Rolls disassembling batteries and denying warranty claims because of excessive sulfation.

It all comes down to maintenance and customer service from your dealer. Deka, Exide and Johnson Controls make the batteries that are in 99% of the boats on the water and cars on the road. Find a handy place to buy them where they will help you out if you have a warranty issue, and keep the batteries as close to full charge as possible at all times and you'll have good results.